Wednesday, April 11, 2012

The Traveling Dentist - Part 4

As you read in my last post about my "traveling dentist" great-grandfather, Frederick Webster, he and his wife Esther were in Arriaga, Chiapas, Mexico for the birth of their first child, Carlota. For some reason they decided to relocate to Brazil. The rest of their children were born in Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Staying true to his "traveling ways" Frederick, as well as his wife, Esther, traveled from Mexico to the United States and from Brazil to the United States while their children were very young.

Here is a passenger list dated October 19, 1911.1 On lines two and three are listed Carlota and her mother Esther. They were sailing from Veracruz, Mexico. Unfortunately there is no destination listed, although we know it is somewhere in the United States. For Esther, in the column "Nationality (Country of which citizen or subject)" Mexico is listed, but is crossed out and the initials U.S. were written in instead. Because Esther married a U.S. Citizen between the years 1855-1922, she automatically became a U.S. Citizen. Perhaps that's why her citizenship was corrected.

﻿I found Esther and her children in two more passenger lists, both in the year 1913. Here she is listed with her two children, Carlota - age 1, and Edna - age 3 months.2 They sailed from Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil on January 29, 1913 and arrived at the Port of New York sometime in February 1913. Interestingly, the passenger list states that Esther was born in El Paso, Texas. And under "Address in the United States," Chiapas, Arriaga, Mexico is listed. Perhaps those were accidentally reversed and she was heading to El Paso, Texas. Frederick did have ties to El Paso, Texas as evidenced by his passport application of 1907. Another interesting, and possibly confusing, item is the statement that Esther's husband was born in Chicago, Illinois. He was really born in Coolville, Athens, Ohio. But, in 1913, Frederick's brother, Rollin, and father, Ebenezer, were living in Chicago, Illinois. Perhaps there was a little confusion there on Esther's part.

﻿And here is Esther again with her two children, this time sailing from Veracruz, Mexico on May 8, 1913 heading to the Port of New York.3

This time an address in the United States was listed for Esther and her children - 30 Columbia Place, Brooklyn, New York. I looked up that address on Google Maps and this is what I found.

The interesting thing about the Brooklyn, New York address is that Frederick was on a passenger list for a ship sailing from Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 8, 1913 and the address in the United States listed for him was Brooklyn, New York.4 This ship sailed on September 8, 1913 and arrived at New York on September 28, 1913. That was a 20 day voyage! Just imagine Esther, a young mom, traveling by herself on a ship for 20 days with her baby in 1911 and then again in 1913, this time with her two small children?! And in the year 1913 she made this voyage two separate times! Wow!

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The next time I see Frederick traveling is in 1921, after Esther's death in 1919. In the following passenger list Fred is sailing with his children Carlota, Edna, and Debs (my grandfather).5 Carlota was listed separately on another page.6 They were sailing from Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil to the Port of New York again. Another address was listed in the United States. This time it was 44 Beekman Street, New York City. I didn't know that my great-grandfather had any ties to New York, but it appears he did!

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﻿Frederick apparently wasn't done traveling! Here he is in Arkansas this time. This is a photo of Frederick Webster with his children - Carlota (in the dental chair), Edna Lillie (in the checked dress), and Debs (my grandfather). This is in Brinkley, Arkansas between January and April, 1922. Seeing Carlota in the dental chair reminds me of myself as a young girl sitting in the dental chair of Debs, my grandfather. Debs followed in his father's footsteps and became a dentist too!

I love this picture of Frederick Webster with his bike in front of his Dental Office. If you look closely you can see the sign behind him reads, "F. E. Webster, Dentista Norte Americano." Unfortunately, I don't know when or where this photo was taken. The three children in the doorway may very well be Fred's children, Carlota, Edna, and Debs.﻿

This last photo is of Frederick with his daughters, Carlota (far left), and Edna (far right), and his son Debs (my grandpa). The photo was taken in Irapuato, Guanajuato, Mexico on April 3, 1923.

I also found evidence that Frederick traveled to Louisiana in 1922 and 1926. Yes, great-grandpa Webster, you definitely were a "traveling dentist!" Frederick passed away on July 21, 1946 in Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

I know this was a very long post. Thanks for letting me share with you the story of my "traveling dentist" great-grandfather Frederick Webster!

2 comments:

Hello Jana,I really enjoyed learning more about your family in Brazil. The photos are great, especially the one with the sign "Dentista Americano". I note street on that photo and the rectangular stones are very typical in Brazil at that time. Thanks for visiting my blog:myportuguesegen.blogspot.comIf you need any help with portuguese documents, I can translate them for you. I also do restoration and conservation of books and paper.My best wishes,Isabella